Where’s the Fraud? On Voting and the New PA Voter ID Law

An elderly person who no longer drives arrives at the polls on November 6, 2012 and is told that even though she has voted in the last 10 elections, she cannot vote today. Why? Her driver’s license is no longer valid since she didn’t renew it last time it came due, because she no longer drives. Why is this at issue in this election? According to a new law passed by Governor Corbett and upheld today by Pa. Commonwealth Court, you must have a valid photo ID in addition to being registered to vote in the November 6^th election in Pennsylvania.

While I think this law is troubling on many levels, I hear some people suggesting that it is the right thing to do to stop voter fraud and to authenticate individuals. See the following for just one logical response to the issue of fraud: http://www.brennancenter.org/content/resource/policy_brief_on_the_truth_about_voter_fraud/. And in response to the individuals who suggest that you must have valid PA photo ID to be employed: http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-9.pdf. Additionally, in order to vote in the first place and be listed on the registers, you must obtain a voter registration card. It makes no sense to be required to not only have a voter registration card, but now, also a valid photo ID, just in time for this specific election, to be able to vote at the polls. The bottom line is that this law is, simply put, another hoop to make it more difficult for elderly, disenfranchised, non-native and non-driving people to vote.

 This new law will continue to be challenged in the court system, and will be fought along sharply partisan lines, as usual, as yet another tactic in the ongoing ridiculousness that is partisan politics in our upended democracy: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0612/77811.html. There are multiple problems with this law, not the least of which is that it is simply unnecessary, and it will probably ultimately be overturned. Additionally, it is a monumental waste of taxpayers’ money to pay for this newly required double-check that isn’t necessary. Every citizen is allow to vote, and so to obtain a photo ID it must be free if they are already registered, because by law, they cannot be denied their right to vote. After all, poll taxes are illegal. So, the taxpayers will foot the bill for the free IDs. For a governor who is so concerned with budget cuts and smaller government, this law seems to fly in the face of said autonomy. The biggest problem of all though, is that it might not be overturned until after the November 2012 election. Should it be upheld, or at least upheld until after the election, and you do not currently have a valid photo ID, you will have to visit your local PennDOT driver's license and photo center if you want to vote. You can locate the closest one here: https://www.dot33.state.pa.us/locator/locator.jsp#top?20120815102613515=20120815102613515. Be aware that there have been reports that the employees of PennDOT are not aware of the free photo voter ID card, and/or that they are unable to handle the influx of people applying for them: http://articles.philly.com/2012-08-02/news/32982011_1_commonwealth-carol-aichele-voter-id-id-cards even though it is listed clearly as a service on the department’s website: http://www.votespa.com/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=1174114&parentname=ObjMgr&parentid=4&mode=2.  Give yourself plenty of time prior to the election and on the day that you go, so that you may receive your free ID without any issue. As well, be aware that the busiest times at the centers are generally in the beginning of the week, the beginning and end of the month, and lunch times.

Please do your part by spreading the word about the potential need for photo ID at the polls in Pa. on November 6th, and be sure to get out and vote.

Sources and Citations:

Brennan Center For Justice at NYU School of Law

Politico.com “Mike Turzai: Voter ID Helps GOP Win State.” By MacKenzie Weinger 6/25/2012

US Citizenship and Immigration Services: http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis

“Witnesses: PennDOT Cannot Handle Voter-ID Demands.” Amy Worden, Inquirer Harrisburg Bureau, philly.com

www.votespa.com